The first anniversary of our story revealing the home perks enjoyed by the University of Bath's most senior official arrived this week.

In the year that passed, there has been close examination of the salaries of the university's top team, with Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell becoming recognised as the country's highest earner.

It has also seen intense scrutiny of vice-chancellor pay at institutions across the country.

Universities are charities and duty bound to spend their money wisely. This summer universities minister Jo Johnson warned they must justify high salaries or face sanctions by the new Office for Students regulator, when it becomes fully operational in April 2018.

Will this see universities becoming more vocal in praise of their bosses?

Or will Dame Glynis - and other well-paid university leaders - take sizeable pay cuts?

Time Line

VC pay and university governance

Home perks (October 2016)

Councillor Joe Rayment (Lab, Twerton)'s freedom of information request about the expenses claimed by the vice-chancellor at her university-provided home in Lansdown Crescent. It revealed that Dame Glynis lives rent and bill-free and claimed a total of £20,016, including a housekeeper whose responsibilities involve 'washing and ironing of all bedding and towels' - and £2 for biscuits.

£45k rise (December 2016)

The vice-chancellor was given an 11% pay rise, taking her pay to £451,000 in 2015/16. A student challenged her university to bridge the gap between its lowest and highest paid employee. Staff on grade one of the university's pay scale earn £14,899 – this means it has a pay ratio of 30:1 - and sociology student Meg Murphy said it should be closer to 5:1.

'Astounded' (January 2017)

Mr Rayment said he was astounded at the pay rise and called for the resignation of Dame Glynis. "You seem to ignore the fact that the university is not a private, for-profit business, but an institution that receives vast amounts of public money in the form of everything from the student loans which are never paid back because of how high tuition fees and accommodation are, to publicly funded research grants," he said in an open letter.

VC Day Party (January 2017)

Students held a 'party' on campus to mark the day in the calendar (January 12) that the university's highest paid employee had earnt what the lowest does in the entire year.

Lord Adonis intervention (July 2017)

House of Lords member Andrew Adonis took to Twitter to condemn the University of Bath for its 'extraordinary pay and governance regime' and said he found it 'incredible' to learn that the deputy vice-chancellor is paid £220,000. He also asked why the higher education regulator didn't intervene to stop the university's top salaries rising.

Lords 'in shock' (July 2017)

The next day, in a debate on the public sector pay cap, Lord Adonis spoke for four minutes about the University of Bath, saying the only example its vice-chancellor was 'setting to her staff is one of greed'. "The highly paid should set an example, particularly at a time of pay restraints," Lord Adonis added.

In response, Michael Bates, the minister of state at the department for international development, said he thought 'the house will have been in some state of shock' at the figures quoted. Our story was shared nearly 1,000 times.

Salary for 2017/18 (July 2017)

We spoke to the chairman of the remuneration committee which sets the pay of University of Bath senior managers, including the vice-chancellor, a day after it met to determine salary levels for 2017/18. Thomas Sheppard cited confidentiality when we asked if Dame Glynis had received another pay rise and would not reveal her new salary. He also did not agree with Lord Adonis's comments.

Praising the university's leaders, he said: "The university has been remarkably successful in recent years. It continues to hold not just nationally but internationally high levels of success and that’s not by mistake. This is by very good management and leadership.”

HEFCE probe (August 2017)

The Higher Education Funding Council for England, the industry regulator, announced an investigation into governance practices at the university. It was launched after Lord Adonis wrote to the HEFCE chief executive.

MP leaves university (August 2017)

The Conservative MP Andrew Murrison quit his role at the university's court - an advisory forum - in protest at 'excessive VC pay'. "Universities really need to be asking whether the eye-watering sums some are dispensing to vice-chancellors are really necessary to attract what they represent as talent," he added.

'Premier League university' (August 2017)

Bath Chamber of Commerce executive director Ian Bell praised the vice-chancellor for being 'incredibly successful'. It was 'right and proper' to reward success in business, he told us, and pointed out that the university is massively important to Bath's economy, a major employer and its research brings prestige to the city and 'underlines it as a place of creative excellence'.

Bath MP position (August 2017)

After three more regional MPs resigned from the university's court, newly-elected Bath MP Wera Hobhouse said she would keep her ex-officio place and 'fight for better governance'.

VC breaks silence (September 2017)

Professor Breakwell issued a statement on the university's website, announcing an effectiveness review of its governing body, the university council. She said the university was committed to high standards of governance and confronting any issues transparently. She hoped the HEFCE probe and media coverage of her pay and perks were not being 'seen to have overshadowed the esteem in which our university is rightfully held'.

Home perks again (September 2017)

A repeated freedom of information request about the VC's Lansdown Crescent expenses found £18,953 was claimed in 2016/17. "While ordinary working people in this city have seen rent and bills rise at a much faster rate than their wages, Glynis Breakwell has seen her salary skyrocket and her rent and bills stay static at £0," Mr Rayment said.

Car loan (October 2017)

The VC's £451k salary included a £31,489 interest-free loan for a car - and it was the first time the university had loaned money to a member of its senior management team. This revelation prompted a backlash from students who pay interest of six per cent on their loans.

Ken Loach cancels event (October 2017)

VC to leave panel (October 2017)

At the conclusion of the annual university council meeting, Dame Glynis was questioned by reporters but remained silent. It was announced that she will step down from the panel that sets her pay. Until now Dame Glynis has been one of five members of the remuneration committee - leaving the room when her pay is discussed. The university reiterated its effectiveness review of council would take place and said standing orders for the university court would be circulated to members in advance of meetings.